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Post by prettyshinyshells on Sept 18, 2021 11:29:44 GMT -6
Hello everyone. This is my first post. I'm getting into silk knotted necklaces. My jewelry generally uses the smallest size gemstones (using 26 gauge wire) so I'm using size 2 griffin silk cord. After looking around, it seems that I need more information about what should or should not be strung for the longevity, durability of my necklaces. Really I am working on two things. Firstly, is it wise to knot gemstones or will they just slowly slice the silk over time? Maybe it's a matter of total weight? I'm leaving a fair amount of space between the bunches of stones. The other major thing is about adding fairly heavy shell pendants to the necklaces. I bought some small pearls and again, left about an inch in between bunches of three pearls (with knots between pearls), so it's not a solid knotted necklace. At the bottom I knotted four pearls and hung my pendants with jump rings over the knot in the middle. As I said, the shells are fairly heavy. I pre-stretched the silk cord. With the shells being 1-2 inches long I am making the necklaces 25-30 inches in length. (The gemstone necklaces are more like 16 inches.) Any thoughts would be greatly appreciated! Attachments:
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Post by caeterle on Sept 18, 2021 12:32:50 GMT -6
I have never knotted necklaces myself, so I don't know anything about beading silk sizes, but weight definitely makes a difference, I can tell that from necklaces I have seen in my family (like pearls and semiprecious gem rocks, but the latter were probably bigger and heavier than the stones that you use).
I once heard that pearl necklace should be restrung every few years to avoid fraying, but I would guess that really also depends on how often they are worn and how heavy they are. I could imagine length can make a difference as well if the wearer is a "fiddler" like me. The longer my necklaces, the more I fiddle with them during the day. From experience I know that that can wear out beading wire, so it's probably tough on silk as well.
So it's a good idea to add the pearls in bunches, not to mention that it looks very pretty! As much as I like the big shells on these necklaces, I would probably try wearing one myself for a while to see how the silk is doing.
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Post by Irith-Rita on Sept 21, 2021 15:25:02 GMT -6
I don't know much about pearl stringing either, but the necklaces shown here are pretty!
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Post by DawninCal on Sept 23, 2021 21:37:10 GMT -6
I always consider durability when I design jewelry. When in doubt, make one of your necklaces for yourself and wear it every day for a month. Test it, fiddle with it, be rough with it and see just how long your silk cord stands up to the wear and tear. Keep in mind that the majority of people won't wear the same necklace every day or be as rough with it as you are with your test necklace. If you are satisfied after the test period, I think you can consider your design a success. On the other hand, if your silk cord shows signs of wear or if it breaks, you'll know that you need to do some revisions, whether that is thicker cord or a smaller shell, etc. One thing you can do to reduce wear on your cord is take a small round file and file the holes in the beads and shells smooth. When you eliminate shard edges, burrs and snags, that goes a long way to ensuring that a necklace will last a very long time. Best of luck and welcome to JAC! Dawn
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Post by michelle on Sept 24, 2021 7:43:26 GMT -6
Welcome! I don’t have any better advice to offer. Your necklaces are so pretty! I hope the testing goes well.
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Post by prettyshinyshells on Sept 26, 2021 9:26:16 GMT -6
Thanks you guys. Cat, I'm taking your advice and wearing the heck out of my necklace. I'm a busybody with three kids so if it survives that, I think I'm good.
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Post by caeterle on Sept 26, 2021 9:47:34 GMT -6
Let us know how it goes!
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Post by lotty64 on Sept 30, 2021 10:16:54 GMT -6
I love your necklaces they are really pretty. The only thought I have is the use of a jump ring for the shell at the bottom. I would worry that they the silk may pull through the gap eventually. Maybe look at wire wrapping a loop to thread on.
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